I’m always attracted to a game initially by its visual style. It doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated or even realistic, it just has to hook me. That’s certainly the case for Tala & the Flower Seed, currently looking for funding on Kickstarter. Developed by Matthew Petrak, it is a adventure game with lots of puzzles and a very compelling aesthetic inspired by nature photography and classic animation techniques.
The plot of Tala is whimsical and simple. You play the titular Tala, who is a forest spirit. She lives in a woodland town and helps the Town Guardian with various tasks. As preparations for venturing into the Deep Woods begins, Tala is tasked with keeping the town safe in the interim. Things quickly spiral out of control, as the Guardian goes missing, and it’s up to Tala to save the day. This is done via solving many puzzles and finding the right ingredients to succeed.
One of the things I find most interesting about Tala is how the whole story is told without dialogue. Instead, it’s shown through thought bubbles, much like in Karma. Incarnation 1, which also had an eye popping art style. The entirety of the adventure is a point and click experience, which means you’ll be using your thinking cap a lot. Best of all, the thought bubble design means Tala is approachable even to those who don’t necessarily speak English. Tala also boasts a large cast of colorful characters, ranging from the Baker and Gardener to even some folks living on the periphery of the Deep Woods.
Most everything in the environment can be interacted with, and there are lots of cool visual treats such as things blowing in the wind or chimneys bellowing smoke. The game will also make use of smart contextual cues to help you know what you can and can’t interact with. This is a world that is meant to immerse the player, and when coupled with the beautiful hand drawn aesthetic by Matthew and original music by Cody Rueger, it has the potential to be quite compelling.
As for the funding itself, Tala is only asking for AU$ 13,223. That’s pretty reasonable, but you’re probably wondering about the funding tiers. The cheapest tier to get the game is for AU$ 15, which nets you the game and your name in the credits; if you’re about the music, AU$ 25 will also get you the soundtrack; if you’re more visually motivated, AU$ 50 will get you a limited pack of 3 postcards; AU$ 75 will have Matthew draw a portrait of you in the style of the game; for those who demand physical goodies, AU$ 150 gets you a sweet wooden pin, and there are even some tiers beyond that. That’s a decent amount of funding options, though it probably wouldn’t hurt to have a few more intermediate tiers.
If you’re interested in helping this fascinating looking adventure get brought to life, you still have 25 days to go. To discover more about Tala & the Flower Seed, just check out the Kickstarter or try out the demo today. Stay tuned to oprainfall for more unique projects to be given the spotlight!
